STYLE ARTICLE

Happy Apps: 5 Free Apps to Help You Get Happy

From a journal in your pocket to advice on breakups

Our (smart)phones are with us everywhere these days, helping us navigate to Chik-Fil-A or keep track of baseball stats or play music. But what about apps to help you on your happiness journey? Here are five of our faves.

1. MyDaylifeThe app allows you to make notes about your day, and rate it on a scale from 1-10. Clean, cool design, and super easy to use make the app a winner, as does the tracking capability—personal happiness graphs, anyone? Geek out over your own life.

2. Relax MelodiesTrouble falling asleep? This amazing app allows you to choose your sleep sounds, from rain to ocean waves, crickets to a music box, or smush a bunch together to make the perfect mix to fall asleep. You can set a timer for how long the noisemaker will play. This is saved our staff from insomnia many a night!

3. GymPactHave you ever said I wish someone would pay me to go to the gym? Currently a tech darling, this app does. GymPact will pay you when you make your committed workouts—but you'll pay when you miss 'em. You can tag your own gyms, so don't worry if you work out at home or outdoors, it'll still count!

5. Should I Break Up With My Boyfriend?We heard about this one from GoodEnoughDoctor, whose review is so thorough you should click on over. Basically, Dr. Craig Cypher says: “its premise is simple: rate your boyfriend over a 14 day period on a five point scale from ‘Totally Over Him” to “Totally in Love’” The app will remind you to rate the boyfriend, won’t let you read your past entries, and uses a standard deviation after two weeks to make a recommendation for you. Dr. Cypher sums it up: “What it offers is a special mix of real analytic tracking of emotions in a playful and engaging wrapper.”

Bonus: Dr. Cypher offers his own $4.99 app called CohesiveSelf®, a mobile application designed to help individuals track their mood and access tools to help improve their emotional states. It includes audio files for relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery to help individuals manage difficult points in their life.

Crazy Cool Apps Coming Soon:

Mobilyze! technology fights depression by learning your usual phone use patterns and intervening when you are feeling isolated or depressed.

MedLink, an app and smart pill bottle, tracks if you've taken your daily dose of medication and any side-effects you're experienced.

Do you use any apps to keep you happy during the day? Let us know in the comments!